25 Things
by festival-chan loves books
Summary: So... what exactly are the twenty five things a perfect guy will do? Hinata finds out. GaaraxHinata. A collection of oneshots.
1. Cheer Up, Hinata!

Anyway, this is a collection of themed drabbles. Since I'm obsessed with GaaraxHinata lately, I wanted to do this for that pairing... but Number 2 is something I don't think anyone would ever, ever catch Gaara doing, and frankly, if they did, they wouldn't live to tell the tale. Unless they were Hinata, of course. 

So the theme is this email I got- one of those chain list things send-it-on-and-your-wish-comes-true things. "26 Things The Perfect Guy Would Do". I shortened it to "25 Things" because I didn't think Gaara would ever get into drugs... seriously. Can you picture that? (Hallucinatory Gaara... oh, _no_. Not a chance.)

Well, I thought it was cute...

Anyway, some will be from Gaara's POV and some from Hinata's, mainly because some will make more sense that way.

That's all for now (I know this was a long A/N, sorry). Onwards, people! And please review!

Gaara: -frowns-

Hinata: -blushes-

They're so... nonverbal. Curses!

* * *

1. Know how to make you smile when you are down.

* * *

"Hinata! Your _boyfriend_'s here!" yelled Hanabi tactlessly, which made Gaara frown even more, and Hinata turn pink (well, he couldn't see her, but this most definitely would cause the blood to rush to her face). 

It was very lucky for Hanabi, Gaara thought, that she wasn't his sister. Not counting his dad and Yashamaru and pretty much everything else that had happened to him and Temari and Kankuro had to deal with- she'd be dead. Hanabi was _annoying_.

The old Gaara didn't put up with annoying.

Hinata ran down the stairs, losing a shoe halfway and having to pick it up. Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Isn't she clumsy?"

Gaara thought. Yes, Hinata was clumsy, but it wasn't a bad thing. But he didn't really feel like sharing that with Hanabi, so she could take his silence however she wanted.

He stood there, arms impassively folded as usual. Hinata finally landed in front of him, shoes on, purse on shoulder, and in general ready to go.

She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt with a Hello Kitty- like-thing on the front. It seemed to suit her, for some odd reason.

"Hi, Gaara," she said, shyly as always. She _seemed _normal, but he still felt that something was amiss. He passed it off as nervousness over the most recent treaty with the Land of Tea.

"Hello, Hinata," he said. He offered a smile, which she gladly returned. He wasn't very good at smiling normally, but he did it often around Hinata, and it seemed to come naturally then. "C'mon, let's go." She offered her hand and he took it, opening the car door for her.

She was staring at the floor of the car when he got in on the driver's side.

"So, where to, Hinata?" he asked. They always went out on Friday afternoons, and they usually went to a different place each time. They were currently in agreement that the best was Ichiraku's Ramen Bar after training. Naruto really had been right all those years.

"I d-don't know."

That was weird- she hadn't stuttered in ages. Since she'd gotten over Naruto.

"Well, what sounds good?" Hinata always picked. He didn't like picking for her- she'd never let him know if he picked wrong.

"Um, I don't know," she said.

He nearly rolled his eyes. Then he looked at her, really looked at her for the first time today.

There were faint dark circles under her eyes. Her mouth drooped. She was pale and silent, looking at her knees. Listless. As though she was tired but couldn't sleep.

Hinata didn't look well, not at all.

He wasn't very good at this sort of thing, not at all. But since she was Hinata, and she looked sad, he couldn't help but ask, "Is anything wrong, Hinata?"

"Nothing- nothing's wrong, Gaara."

That settled it. Something was wrong. So Gaara, inferring based on experience with his sister, said, "I think we should get ice cream today."

Temari always asked for ice cream when she was having a long day.

Hinata contemplated this for a moment, and then said, "That sounds nice."

They drove to the ice cream parlour in near silence.

"So what happened in Konoha this week?" he asked as they walked in, hand in hand.

"Nothing much."

Something had always happened. _Always_. Not a day went by in which no one did something interesting. Ino had got in another catfight with Sakura over a brooding Sasuke, Lee had done something idiotic again (too bad the moron was his best friend), and almost always Kiba had nearly caught Shino smile on camera. _Never _did "nothing" happen.

He really wished he could help her out, but having no idea what the problem was, he couldn't do a thing except give her chocolate. Which usually worked with Temari, but he'd never encountered a depressed Hinata- usually she was cheerful and friendly, bringing him up from wherever he was brooding about his paperwork. Never, never had he thought he'd be cheering Hinata up.

Of course, he had to- she always cheered him up, and it was the least he could do for his girlfriend.

They got a small, private table outside. Hinata had wanted something chocolate-covered (further proof that she was depressed), and Gaara was more of a cookie-dough type. Sitting outside, they ate their ice-cream in silence.

Finally, Gaara could stand it no longer, and he said, "Hinata... You don't look well. You look tired- like you haven't been sleeping."

She looked up. He continued, "You've got to get your sleep, you know. If not-" he paused dramatically- "You'll look like me." He finished by pointing to his eyes and staring into hers, as though he was being absolutely serious. He wasn't, of course. He was trying to make her laugh.

As for Hinata, up until he had said, "you'll look like me," she had been raptly attentive. At that point, her head dropped toward her ice cream. He moved as though to catch her, but she hadn't fallen asleep, she was just looking at Chocolate Chocolate Ice Cream.

She looked up at him, and said, with an unreadable expression, "I bet Temari asks you for ice cream when she's sad."

He nodded.

"And I bet you try to be funny," she continued. "To cheer her up."

He wasn't sure where she was going with this, and he'd thought he had been funny. "I wanted to cheer you up," he said frankly. "You looked depressed."

She smiled at him, a truly happy smile. Suddenly, she didn't look quite so ill anymore. Perhaps she was just blushing a little- he'd never quite figured out why the most random things made her blush. "Not anymore."

The End

* * *

So... how was it? 

Oh, and I'm not really sure why Hinata was depressed- maybe it'll show up later on. I'm not sure. I think she failed a mission.

Are they believable? I guess Hinata was a little OOC at the end.

Anyway, review if you liked it. Or if you didn't, and thought it needed help. I have 24 more chapters planned- if not yet written. A collection of one-shots.

TTFN!


	2. Hair Sniffing

"Hey, Hinata," said Gaara.

"Hello," she replied. "How're you?"

"Just fine, thanks," he replied. "You?"

"I'm good. Anything interesting happen lately?"

He took her hand and guided her to the door.

"Not much... Shikamaru finally proposed to Temari. She's really excited."

They walked out and shut the door, leaving behind the glare of Hanabi and the exultant joy of Hiashi, who were pretending to eat dinner but were really listening to the couple.

Hinata sighed in relief.

"Thank heavens. I thought that hall was just going to keep stretching," muttered Gaara.

"Me too," agreed Hinata. They'd seen that horror movie last week.

"So, how are you really?" asked Gaara. They walked through the Hyuuga grounds toward Gaara's car.

Hinata yawned. "So- tired! I thought Neji was never going to let me leave the training grounds. How's life in Suna?"

"Not that great, actually... The treaties aren't going that well. Some of the elders still hate me and are trying to get me out of office. Not to mention an excited Temari." He shuddered. "They haven't even started planning the wedding and already I hate it."

"You're just overprotective," Hinata giggled.

"Am not. He's just a lazy... butt."

"Which makes him not right for Temari, right?" Hinata laughed.

"Exactly." She turned her head and smiled at the ground (as though it had a private joke with her), and he suddenly realized how that sounded. "Well- they're really happy together, so I guess it's okay..." he grumbled.

"Good!" she said. "And he really isn't that lazy. He'll be a very good husband to her. They get along well, and work together. Where are they going to live?"

Gaara thought. "Part of the time in Suna, and part of the time in Konoha. Half and half. Both have jobs that they need to do. I need her in Suna and Tsunade needs him here. They're highly trusted in both places, and neither wants to lose their high standing."

Hinata frowned. "That's gonna be hard," she said, thinking of how she would feel. She knew that she and Gaara were likely to be married, and wondered if she would still be allowed to be head. Perhaps she would give it to Neji. He deserved it anyway. How could she be head, anyway, if she lived half the time in Suna?

As it turned out, Gaara was wondering the same thing. "I wonder what we would do."

"I don't know," replied Hinata.

"To tell the truth, I haven't thought about it- where I'd live, anyway- very much."

"Neither have I."

A pause. Gaara finally asked, "Are you really that hungry?"

Hinata thought. "Not really."

"Me neither. I made reservations for someplace nice, as a sort of surprise-" She was sure he was blushing by the way his face got all warm against her cheek.

"Oh, no... I'm dressed so plainly. If you're not hungry and I'm not hungry, let's not go."

"That's what I was thinking."

"I'd rather not go someplace nice, anyway... They're so much like those formal dinners that my dad used to make me have."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. To tell the truth, I don't like formal dinners either. I just thought it might be nice."

"I guess it would have been nice, but I'm not in that sort of a mood right now."

"Neither am I... So many forks."

Hinata giggled. "Yeah."

"So what do you want to do?"

She thought. "I dunno..."

"I don't know either."

"I don't feel like going home or anything... I'd much rather spend time with you. I feel like just doing something fun and not formal or anything."

Gaara thought. "That would be nice. A movie?"

"That'd be nice."

"What movie do you want to watch?"

Hinata wasn't sure, so she picked Gaara's favorite. "Lord of the Rings."

"So you want to stay home and watch a movie... But Hanabi would spend the entire time glaring at me..."

"True... We could use Neji's house. I think he'd let us..."

"Are you sure?" asked Gaara.

"Quite sure."

"Well, if you're so certain, I guess we could get him to..."

She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Neji's number.

"Hey Neji?"

"Hinata-sama," Neji greeted coldly. Gaara could hear it on speakerphone. "What do you want?"

"Charming as ever. Um, could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" her cousin asked tiredly. "I'm on my way home, and I'll be at the front in a second. My phone's on low battery. Meet me there."

Neji hung up.

True to his word, Neji showed up.

"Nii-san, we just wanted to borrow your house to watch a movie... May we?"

Neji thought. "No."

Hinata sighed.

Neji continued. "Unless Gaara tells me that he definitely remembers what will happen to him if certain events take place."

"I remember exactly what will happen."

"Good. Then, yes... I bet it's 'cause you don't want to have to deal with Hanabi or Hiashi-sama, eh?"

"Exactly!"

Gaara shivered. As much as he loved Hinata, there was this deep feeling of fear that he got whenever they were around that somehow made him unable to communicate well. There was Hanabi and her loathing of him, which made him nervous, Hiashi and his absolute joy that Hinata had procured someone so powerful and decent, which made him more nervous, and Neji with abnormally big-brother-ish tendencies for someone so cold.

"Okay," said Hinata. "Let's go!"

Neji led the way with the couple holding hands behind him following.

They reached the house.

"Okay, there's popcorn, and the movies are on those shelves over there, and I'll be in the kitchen or in my room if you need me, but since you've been here a lot, Hinata, you should know where pretty much everything is."

"Yeah, I do."

Neji sat in the kitchen with them while they made popcorn. "It's about to burn," he remarked. "You should take it out."

Hinata ran over and pulled it out. "How can you tell?" she asked, frowning. "You can't see the future with the Byakugan..."

"Yeah, but I can hear how much it pops. That's how you really know."

"Oh."

Hinata opened it and dumped it into a bowl.

Neji took a handful and threw some at her, eating the rest. "It's my popcorn," he said by way of explanation. Hinata picked up a handful and tried to throw it back at him, but frankly... popcorn does not like to be aimed. It hit Gaara instead.

He posed thoughtfully, then smirked at her. "It's on."

Thus ensued the Giant Epic Battle Of Popcorn Throwing To End All Giant Battles of Popcorn Throwing, Complete With Stupid Action Phrases, Such As:

"Try this on for size!" (Hinata.)

"Who's your boyfriend!" (Gaara.)

"Who's your girlfriend!" (Hinata.)

"Try this on for size!" (Gaara.)

"What now!" (Hinata.)

"Burn!" (Gaara.)

"SCORE!" (This, oddly, was Hinata.)

This last one they found so funny that they had to stop throwing popcorn at one another standing up, and instead halfheartedly tossed little kernels at one another while lying on the ground laughing their heads off.

"What, exactly, have you done to my kitchen?"

Neji appeared in the doorway.

Gaara and Hinata scrambled to their feet.

"Popcorn fight," said Hinata. "We'll clean it up later."

"Oh. Thanks," said Neji. "You two have fun." He walked off, for some reason mercifully leaving Gaara alone. It wasn't till much later that Gaara found out from a drunken Tenten (long story) that Neji had had a popcorn fight with her on the day of they'd started going out.

Gaara was quite surprised that Neji had actually found a girlfriend in the time that he'd known him, but supposed it made sense. Shikamaru was always surprised that Hinata liked Gaara, and Kankuro and Gaara basically treated him like Neji treated Gaara, but less severely.

The magic of the Epic Popcorn Battle was a little lost, but then they made another bag of popcorn, vacuumed it up the residue of the Epic Popcorn Battle, got a blanket and sat on the couch happily.

Hinata leaned in toward Gaara, hoping that he would put his arms around her, which he did. She leaned in closer and sighed happily, every now and then eating popcorn and closing her eyes to sleep rather than watch the fight scenes. She'd had enough of those in real life.

This was when Hinata also noticed that Gaara was not paying attention to the movie. He seemed to have fallen asleep on her shoulder.

She remembered what he'd said about his day earlier, and noticed that he'd probably had a particularly long one.

But then she realized that he wasn't asleep- his chakra wasn't flowing quite evenly enough for that. A lot of it was at his nose, actually. It wasn't at his nose, however, the way that Kiba summoned it there- it was as though it was just going there because he needed it there, and he wasn't really controlling it.

"Gaara," she asked timidly, "are you asleep?"

"No," he said.

"Then what are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing, really," he said, breathing in deeply and sighing. "Long day."

She turned her attention back to her thoughts, supposing that he was just nearly asleep, when she noticed several minutes later that he was doing it again. It was weird, because his chakra was still all at his nose. Which signified use of nose. Which meant that he was probably smelling something.

That was when she remembered that she had sent Neji to buy the groceries last week, and they'd been running out of shampoo. Neji, being a guy that didn't really care about stuff like that, had no idea that there were differently scented shampoos. Usually Hinata bought a certain, special type that she preferred, but she didn't make Neji do that (he'd seemed nervous enough about all her other specifications) and so he picked out some citrus-y smelling one. She liked it- usually she picked apple, and it wasn't that noticeable. But she had tried the citrusy kind and the smell seemed to stay.

Gaara was... smelling her hair?

How... cute...

In a stalkeriffic (don't blame her, it was a word Sakura made up about Lee) sort of way. But still cute. She kept a watch on him, just to see what he was doing.

In a while, Gaara was truly asleep. Poor guy, he'd had a long day.

The movie ended, but she stayed there, close by him, because he was still sleeping and in fact snoring lightly and she didn't want to wake him. The fact that he was snoring was kind of cute, really.

"He's pretty deeply asleep," said Neji. Hinata had already seen him coming up, so she wasn't surprised. Luckily for Gaara's ninja skills, Neji's words had woken him up.

"Hm? Neji!" He jumped back and sat stiffly on the couch, avoiding all contact with Hinata. "Nothing happened!"

She couldn't help laughing at that. "Does my hair smell nice, Gaara-kun?" She wouldn't have asked him if she hadn't thought that he would answer truthfully, because most people say exactly what they're thinking after being woken up. For a lot of people, that's "Oh, morning," or something equally dull. But Hinata liked to ask questions at that time, just to see how people answered. Once Hanabi had mentioned something about tigers and shoes when Hinata asked her about the weather.

"Yes," he said, rubbing his eye. "Probably like grapefruit or orange, I'm not sure which. Oh-! Hi, Neji."

The door flung open.

"HEY NEJI, GOT A WRENCH?!" yelled Hanabi. "Oh, it's you two. What're you doing on the couch... With a blanket... OH MY- HEY, DAD, COME HERE!" She dropped her voice back to normal level. "Neji... You too?"

Neji turned greenish, but said, "They were watching a movie. I came in and joined them."

"That's what you say."

"That's what happened."

"I know. Just kidding," she said, as Hiashi came in.

"What happened? Oh, hi, Hinata, Kazekage-sama. I thought you were going to go out to dinner."

"We didn't feel like going out to dinner, Dad," said Hinata, poking her fingers together.

"And you-!" hissed Hanabi. "Neji's fine. But you-! Stealing my poor innocent sister for a make-out session." She hissed, and posed to attack.

Gaara quickly pulled up a sand shield around them. (It smelled of blood, but Hinata didn't really care. It was a part of Gaara's past that she had been afraid of at first but now accepted.) He embraced her in the same way that he had before, lying his head on her shoulder.

"You're smelling my hair again."

"Yeah, pretty much."

* * *

2. He will try to secretly smell your hair, but you always notice.

* * *

Hm, I had another version where Gaara proposed but then I decided not to do that one because it was really, really long. 

It's cute, I had meant to make the plot center more on the hair-sniffing but that's just a little thing. This one was really hard. I meant to have it out earlier, but it just kept getting more different from where I meant it to be. I'm sorry for the wait. The next one will (I hope) come faster.

OH! I nearly forgot! The popcorn thing was a reference to (WARNING: SHAMELESS PLUG COMING UP) my NejiTen story, Neji's Bad Day. My first fanfic. A really long time ago.

So... tell me what you think!


	3. Stronger Than You Seem

Yeah, kinda short. I'm a little intimidated currently. Some of the people who've Alerted this story are writers that I've read and thought were good.

Thanks for reading this! Let me know if you enjoyed it.

* * *

"She's not weak," drawled Gaara lazily from his desk. He leaned on it, fist supporting his chin. 

"Kazekage-sama..." said Hibiki, Gaara's least favorite council member. "Her _own father_ doesn't even want her to lead the Hyuuga clan? Do you really want her in_ yours_?"

Gaara glared at him. "Why, yes, I do." He sat up straight, arms folded and leaning back in a manner that could be interpreted two ways: One, "That's that," and two, "I'm spoiled and I get what I want."

Hinata liked to think it was the first. Hibiki had always thought it was the second.

Neither of them were right. 

It was _both_.

"You're... you're making a mistake!" spluttered the man.

Hinata, standing behind Hibiki, rubbed her eye. Gaara knew it was in an effort not to cry.

"Quit it," said Gaara, glaring at him. "You're about to make her-"

He stopped. He knew how it would sound.

"Cry?" Hibiki said angrily. "Well, she wouldn't cry if she wasn't weak! See? If she cries at a little comment like that, it only goes to show you that-"

"She's weak?" asked Gaara. "Well, you're going about it all wrong. I don't know how you got on my council with such a lack of subtlety. Compose yourself, _sir_. And she's not weak. I don't know where you got that idea from."

"Look at her record, Kazekage-sama," said Hibiki smoothly. "She lost to her cousin- a mere Hyuuga Branch member- in the Chuunin exams."

"I was there," said Gaara. "And she fought well. She may have lost, but she did not give up willingly. Is stubbornness a trait of the weak? May I also add- That 'mere' Hyuuga Branch member is currently the main candidate for Head if she leaves. He is the prodigy of the Hyuuga."

"With all due respect, sir, when one is blinded by love," said Hibiki, "the object of that affection will always do well and never be weak."

"And I was not blinded by love then."

"One glorifies one's memories."

"_One_ does. _I _don't."

"Kazekage-sama, you may very well believe in your own objectivity, but we- the council- do not."

"Well," said Gaara. "If by the council you mean _you_, then that last statement is correct. Last I checked, much of the council was excited to recieve the bloodline of the Hyuuga."

"The bloodline cannot pass strongly through one so weak in it."

"And here we are again. I thought we'd gone over this." Gaara sighed. "She is not-"

He happened to catch Hinata's eye at that moment.

"Hinata," he said, breaking off. "I may carry more weight with him normally, but you- It's you he doesn't think is strong. He knows of _my _strength very well, but why don't you explain to Hibiki-sama here _your_ strength?"

Hinata looked shocked.

Was he really giving her a chance? Back when she'd dated Naruto, he'd insisted on doing everything for her. For chivalry's sake. When she'd dated Kiba, she'd been expected to be everything his mother and sister were- strength and speed and forwardness personified.

Gaara... had just struck that happy medium. For he had done all he could for her and was now telling her to stand up for herself.

"Sir, I am not weak," said Hinata.

Hibiki pouted. "Kazekage-sama, I shall never be convinced of this woman's strength. I have heard small children boast of strength far better than that."

Gaara looked at Hinata imploringly. _ Show him. Don't tell him. You can do it. I've seen you fight, I know your skills, I know that you are strong. He doesn't, and he won't listen. So make him _**see.**

She nodded once, knowing his expression's message if not his thoughts- and moved so fast she disappeared.

Hibiki was never quite sure afterwards where the pain started. Perhaps in his back? His toes? His fingers?

All he knew for the next three days was that _everything _hurt, and the Kazekage and his new fiancee were rather enjoying themselves visiting him and gloating silently.

* * *

3. He sticks up for you but still respects your independence. 


	4. Hand Over That Remote, Gaara

I made this exactly 200 words long.

But don't be too disappointed because another, bigger update is coming today! (If I get a review or two on this one... Nah, just kidding. Don't let that stop you from reviewing!)

* * *

Blue eyes met pale.

"Hinata..." he pleaded.

She managed to look absolutely innocent and somehow in dire, dire need.

"Gaara?" She could plead and beg, too.

"But... but... it's the Big Game today?"

"But _Lost_ is on!"

She gave him the I-Have-Really-Big-White-Eyes-That-Look-Purple-And-You-Love-It look. Said white/purple eyes started to get shiny.

"Gaara, please? It's _Lost_!" Which only happened to be her favorite show. The one she was incurably addicted to. The only show that she ever watched.

Only for her.

Only for Hinata.

He handed over the remote without another word. Her expression of utter sadness switched to one of utter gratitude.

"Oh, thank you! I love you so much!" Her eyes kept getting shinier, too. She flung her arms around him.

It was just a remote! What was the big deal? And it was just one tv show? Not even a game!

See, games were _important_.

He tried to think of a reason why.

He couldn't come up with one.

Hinata happily seated herself on the couch and was now watching Lost with an avid expression on her face.

Gaara figured there was probably more to this than he really wanted to know.

He just wasn't going to ask.


	5. Here In Your Arms

Review, please!

* * *

"Here, you go, Hina-chan," said Kiba, throwing a dauntingly thick packet of papers to her. "Can you sort those out? Kurenai asked me 'cause she has to take care of the baby, but my mom and sister have to go on a mission and I have to go with them. Shino can't 'cause his parents are taking him out for his mom's birthday. Please, Hina-chan?" wheedled Kiba. 

Hinata sighed.

"Of course I can," she said, resigned.

"Thanks!!!!"

In a moment, she was buried under an effusively grateful mass of dog and boy. Which was which? She couldn't tell.

"Kiba," she managed. "Please get off of me?"

"Sorry, Hina-chan," said Kiba. He was sorry. She could tell.

"It's fine," she said. It wasn't. She wanted to go on her date with Gaara tonight. Plus, it was her birthday tomorrow.

"Hina-chan, if you weren't going out with Gaara, I'd be in love with you," declared Kiba as he ran off.

Hinata trudged home.

"Hinata!" yelled Hanabi.

"Yes?"

"Dad says you've gotta be home by 9:00 tonight."

"What? Why?"

"That stupid early elders meeting tomorrow."

Hinata groaned. She'd forgotten.

"Do you have to go?"

Hanabi nodded, making a face.

"I hate it."

Hinata agreed and went to her room. The faster she got these sorted, the faster she could sleep later after her date with Gaara.

She sat on the floor for several hours, sorting papers. It was acting as a really good sleep-inducer, and all she wanted to do right now was to rest her aching head on anything and shut her sore eyes to go to sleep. But she didn't. She soldiered on through the steadily (although slowly) diminishing pile. Stamina training. She could not, would not...

Yawn...

_No!_ she told herself. _No! _Bad_ Hinata! Do _not_ yawn! Do not even _think_ of sleep! Gaara-kun will be here around six or seven and then you can go and have fun with him and then you can come back here and go to sleep! But not right now!_

She looked at the clock.

6:30. She was about halfway done.

_Maybe... just a minute... then I'll go back to it... I'll just shut my eyes... for just a minute..._

She was awoken from her brief dream about herself, Gaara, and cats by the sensation of strangling.

When she opened her eyes and prepared to react, however, she was not being strangled, she was being hugged. From the back. There was only one person who would do this, and his red hair was brushing up against her cheek.

"Hey, Hinata," he said, his voice tickling her ear. "Hanabi said you were up here. If you were asleep, you need to work on your reflexive skills. Frankly, though, I'm glad you weren't doing so well with those."

She smiled. Only Gaara could make something bad into something good like that.

"You won't be too glad when I die because of it."

"Then next time I do that, do not hesitate to attack me."

"I'm much more on my guard on missions," she said in defense.

He shook his head, gently correcting her. "You need to be on guard all the time, Hinata. It needs to be like that." He snapped his finger.

"Easy for you to talk, you've got the second best Ultimate Defense."

"And when your cousin's teammate Lee managed to outrun it? I would have been doomed had he really been trying to kill me. Do not make my mistake. My strength was my weakness in that case."

"All right," she smiled against his face. "I'll work on it."

"Good," he said, pleased. "Don't die, Hinata."

"You neither!" she said.

"It isn't fun," he admitted. "Especially if you don't think you're coming back. And what is all this?" he asked in reference to the large stack of papers on the floor.

"Just some papers Kiba asked me to sort out."

"Ouch. I heard from Hanabi about your curfew."

She frowned.

"Hyuuga council meeting."

"And then you have to sort all this, too?" he asked.

She nodded.

"That's... not right." That phrase was particularly reminiscent of Kankuro, and yet he could not think of anything better. "You're so... tired. If you want to stay home tonight, then that's perfectly fine."

"I'll be fine!" she protested, desperate to go on their usual date. It would be the only release from tension, a nice evening spent having dinner with Hinata.

Gaara looked at the clock.

"Fine, then... I'll take you out to dinner..." He paused, thinking. "Does that curfew include me being gone?"

"Huh?"

"I'm going to take you out to dinner, and if I'm not kicked out at 9:00, I'll help you sort these papers."

Hinata gaped at him.

"Really?"

He nodded, looking a little shocked. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help?"

Hinata could have cried, she was so happy.

After a lovely dinner, Gaara brought her home. Multiple Byakugan eyes followed them as they walked up the stairs. After activating her Byakugan, Hinata laughed at their reluctance to watch. Somehow, though, they could not pull themselves away, as though it was absolutely imperative to keep an eye on her.

She saw that Neji in particular was disgusted.

Well, then, she thought happily. This'll show them that they're just all perverted.

"Are they watching?" asked Gaara quietly.

"Yeah," said Hinata. "They can't hear, though."

Gaara chuckled.

"How very embarrassed they shall be. Of course, the Kazekage would not do anything inappropriate." He paused. "Not while they're watching, anyway."

Hinata blushed a tomato red.

Gaara had to laugh again at her reaction.

They got up to Hinata's room, and she felt all the Byakugan eyes on her again, more so than before.

"You sleep," commanded Gaara.

"What?!" cried Hinata.

"How are you sorting these?" he asked.

"Um, see that little box right there? All the blues go in one pile, reds in another, and so on."

He nodded.

"Now I know how to do it, you can rest. You've been looking tired lately."

She really was tired, now that she was home again.

So very tired...

"I can't let you do it all," she protested.

Sand gripped her ankles and wrists.

"Hinata, go lay down," he said pleadingly. "You need to be well rested for tomorrow. It wouldn't do you any good to fall asleep in the elder's meeting. What time does it start? 6:00? And then there's that entire hour that you mentioned you take to get ready, which means you wake up some time around 5:00."

She nodded.

"A horrifically early time," Gaara said it finally, as though it was the deciding point.

The sand at her feet flipped up.

"Oh!" she said, as the sand flowed underneath her, supporting her and dropping her into her bed.

She almost immediately fell asleep, but not before she heard Gaara say, "Goodnight, Hinata," softly.

When Hinata woke up in the morning, she felt fully refreshed. Her papers were neatly sorted and stacked landscape and portrait to differentiate between the different color-coded groups, and on top of it all was a little note that said:

_Happy Birthday_

* * *

He takes care of you when you need him to.

* * *

Actually, the thing on the list was that "He comes up behind you and puts his arms around you." But then I realized that he does a lot more in this chapter... so... yup. I changed it. 'Cause it's my fanfiction. Gotta problem with that? (Kidding.)

Anyway, Happy Birthday Hinata!

See ya next chapter!


End file.
